Love Fruit Orchard (Yuanli Township Farmers' Association) Introduction
In Europe, tomatoes are also known as "LOVE APPLES" because the mature tomato flowers bloom in pairs, red and connected like a pair of lovers, thus earning the nickname "fruit of love." This greenhouse primarily focuses on cultivating love apples, so it was named "Love Apple Orchard," hoping that such a romantic name would bring a sense of romance and memories to visitors when promoting the orchard. The greenhouse model used in Love Apple Orchard was specifically chosen from many greenhouses. Considering the seasonal changes in Taiwan, typical greenhouses can create a heat accumulation phenomenon during the summer, and high temperatures can make fruiting difficult for crops grown indoors, especially for tomatoes. Therefore, when choosing the greenhouse structure, it was essential to find a design that allows for cooling and easy heat dissipation. The selected design is a roll-up roof structure, which allows the entire plastic covering to roll up under the central pavilion. When the roof is rolled up, only a fine mesh remains above, preventing heat from accumulating indoors. As a result, the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors is approximately two degrees, and with the installation of exhaust fans, in cases where heat circulation indoors is poor, the exhaust fans can quickly control the temperature. At the beginning of Love Apple Orchard's design, it was the first attempt at greenhouse cultivation, and there was hope that this environment could embody the concept of organic cultivation. However, it was found that while the greenhouse environment could isolate many pests, it could not prevent the occurrence of phytotoxic diseases, leading to significant losses during the early cultivation efforts. Fortunately, our supervisor, Zheng Nianjun, has put in a lot of effort in this regard, continuously visiting and learning greenhouse cultivation techniques to strengthen the cultivation experience of Love Apple Orchard. I still remember that the first year of managing the orchard was very challenging; with a lack of technical proficiency and not gaining colleagues' recognition, I had to endure criticism from representatives for establishing this unprofitable venture, which really added to the difficulties. Thankfully, as of today, Love Apple Orchard has turned a profit sufficient to support its operations, and after years of hard work, we finally have some achievements. Currently, the marketing of Love Apple Orchard's products, in addition to tourism fruit-picking, also collaborates with several organic health stores, supplying products to organic specialty stores in Taichung and nearby areas, as no pesticides are used during the fruit-picking season. Moreover, the romantic name "Love Apple Orchard" and the refreshing fruit-picking experience have already become one of the most well-known representatives of leisure agriculture in central Taiwan, making it ideal for group outings and family activities across generations. The greenhouse cultivation and fruit-picking experience at Love Apple Orchard have also become the best locations for outdoor teaching and agricultural experiences for many kindergartens and primary schools. We welcome everyone to come and experience it firsthand!
